Bryan celebrates Christmas with annual concerts

Written by: Samantha Burgess, Campus Editor

Bryan offers students and the Dayton community opportunities to celebrate Christmas through annual concerts. The annual fine arts Christmas concert will be on Dec. 8 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in Rudd Auditorium. Admission is free. Christmas dinner is offered in Brock Hall at 6:30 p.m. Seats for the dinner can be reserved at $20 a person or $10 for ages 5-11. Both the dinner and concert are open to the Dayton community. Email Paulakay Hall, director of alumni engagement, for questions.

“Our theme this year is a Christmas Celebration,” said Darlene Lestmann, performing arts coordinator. The song lineup includes “Sleigh Ride,” “Silent Night” and “O Holy Night.”

Hall said the concert is a great way celebrate the Christmas season with music that focuses on Jesus, the reason we celebrate the holiday.

This 2016 Community Choir Christmas Concert is directed by Randy Bright, music minister for First Baptist Dayton.

On Dec. 10, the third annual community choir Christmas concert will be in Rudd Auditorium at 6 p.m. The concert features various choirs from churches including First Baptist Dayton, Lake Drive Baptist, New Union Baptist, Walden’s Ridge Baptist and Wolf Creek Baptist. The event is free and open to the Dayton community. The theme focuses on “a moment like no other in heaven,” when Christ was born. The performance will include “Let Earth Receive Her King,” “Oh Come Emmanuel” and “What Kind of Throne/What Child Is This.” 

Randy Bright, music minister at First Baptist Dayton, will direct the community choir. The choir features over 100 voices. “The choir is such a joy to work with and their combined sound is incredible,” said Bright.

Bright says the event also includes a prelude band consisting of instrumentalists in the area, a combined children’s choir, and the Dayton Christian Ballet.

“This is a special time when churches break down denominational and geographic walls and join together with the unified purpose of worshiping the King of kings,” said Janice Pendergrass, director of advancement.

Brad Harris was inspired to create a community choir Christmas concert due to his involvement with a similar project in Middle Tenn. He brought up the idea to Pendergrass three years ago. Many churches have choirs that number 20 to 30 members, and it is difficult to produce a big musical or drama with that small number. A community choir allows for a bigger and better presentation.

“I encourage people to attend because it’s a wonderful community effort that brings our local churches together and a way to celebrate the Christmas season and the birth of our Lord,” said Harris.

 

 

Samantha Burgess is a sophomore majoring in communication with an emphasis in digital media and is an assistant editor for the Triangle.